Anne Arundel County Photos

All I really feel the need to tell you is this:

- Any bird can be any where during migration.
- Anne Arundel County has got some great birds.
- And my wife and son are the most adorable things I've ever seen.

Declan & Emery are all smiles these days. That makes Dad/Dan smile as well. We hope you're smiling as you read this blog.

Please enjoy some of my latest photographs.

A MALE WILD TURKEY IN FULL STRIDE

RUNNING ALONGSIDE HIS LADY FRIEND

AN EASTERN MEADOWLARK IN FLIGHT

AN AMERICAN BITTERN IN A STILL POSE

SAME EASTERN MEADOWLARK... STILL IN FLIGHT

AN AMERICAN KESTREL IN FLIGHT

A SAVANNAH SPARROW IN THE BRUSH

A KILLDEER ON NEST (BY THE MALL)

AN AMERICAN BITTERN... STILL POSING

A MALE AMERICAN KESTREL... PERCHED

MAYBE THAT REALLY ISN'T A BITTERN?

...STILL FLYING

Have a fine week,

Dan

Green Eggs and Herons

My wife's sister Eliza has this really cool boyfriend. Chris Murray is his name and he's spent time in the Amazon rain forests. So he definitely qualifies as someone who enjoys birding.

Well I've known Chris for years from all of my band's gigs at 49 West in Annapolis. In addition to being quite an excellent birder, Chris has worked for what seems like an eternity at 49 West Coffeehouse & Winebar. Actually, for about as long as I have been playing there on Monday nights with my band BEN'S BONES.

It just so happens that Chris enjoys this strange hobby (birding) too. While Eliza and my wife (her sister) Emery are now able to do their 'sister' things, Chris and I happily venture out in search of interesting birds.

Don't get me wrong... Declan, Emery, Eliza, Chris and I have gone on birding excursions before, just not with the same intensity. Emery has more lifers than most hot ladies I know at her age. Heck, she's traveled to Costa Rica with me!

Enjoy these photographs, as they tell the story of our journey today through the Annapolis area and the Patuxent River basin. I hope you find that these images inspire you to have a great week. Or maybe they'll just stir you to help send me to photography school?

How is it the more photos I take, the worse they seem to get? My camera must be dirty or something. No more excuses... you may be the judge.

MMM, WHAT IS THAT SCENT YOU'RE WEARING? I CALL IT... MUSKRAT

PALM WARBLER

TRES NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOWS

OH TO BE MOONED BY A YELLOWLEGS

GREEN HERON... THE BIRD OF THE DAY

AND AN EASTERN TOWHEE SANG US HOME

Have a great week!

-Dan

Spring News

It's Saturday and I've been too busy to blog this week. Briefly, here is an update for your enjoyment.

* The Haas Family Hummingbird feeders (all three of them) have been cleaned, filled and hung in the yard. Any second now those little iridescent hovering birds will be enjoying the sugary water mix we've set out for them here in West Annapolis.

* Speaking of bird feeding, I switched my seed over from black oil sunflower to safflower. The GRACKLES and STARLINGS were eating me out of house and home. Luckily, these two species don't enjoy the safflower seed as much, so the birds that are dropping by are much more enjoyable. Those 'other' birds are quite messy. For that matter, so are the squirrels. The good news is that the regular cast of characters are back in the yard.

* I'm also trying to do the meal worm thing. If anyone has any pointers for alerting the birds to these free worms, let me know.

* The PAINTED BUNTING has been in the news this week. PABU has been turing up regularly at BOTH the Arnold and the Annapolis feeders! In some cases, only a few hours separate the sightings! Could there be TWO PAINTED BUNTINGS? Well, hopefully we will find out soon. I've got two WINGSCAPES BIRDCAMS set up at both locations. The motion-activated photographs have date stamps on the photos. So IF this bird is seen feeding at the same time, there will be definitive proof that there are two in the area. The two locations are about five miles apart, as the BUNTING flies!

* Lastly, I received an update on the Severn River Bridge PEREGRINE FALCONS from Craig at US Fish & Wildlife Friday afternoon.

"Dan,

Hi. I have good and bad news to report. I checked the Severn River Bridge around noon today. The falcons are currently not using the nest box. I have a feeling that painting activities (spot work and cable removal) have contributed in making the birds nervous in the area of the nest box. I did however, locate the falcons on pier cap #5. I watched their behaviors and I believe she is trying to find an area with substrate. I am positive they will not find anything since the bridge was thoroughly cleaned. I have a hunch they will be returning to the box... but late. I will be talking with SHA is a few minutes to get a read on work activities, etc. I will keep you apprised."

I shall keep my fingers crossed for a successful nesting season with the PEREGRINES.

Enjoy your weekend,

Dan

Sunday on the Eastern Shore

The weatherfolks called for rain and wind on Saturday and better weather Sunday. The paper they were reading from must've been upside down because they were wrong on both counts.

So after reading the forecast, I decided to spend Saturday in the garden. That decision produced a healthier plot for the spring's foliage to thrive and a nicer look for the neighbors who drive past. The yard looks nice now and the ache in my back reminds me of what I accomplished on the Haas Family Farm (1/8th of an acre in West Annapolis).

A very rainy, often times windy and certainly cold Sunday was spent birding Somerset, Worcester and Wicomico Counties on Maryland's Eastern Shore. It was worth the purple toes and rain-soaked clothing to see 100 species of birds. Matt Tillet, Bill Hubick, Tom Fields and I went out in search of the reported WHITE-FACED IBIS that was seen in Berlin and Ocean City on Saturday. Matt Hafner, Jim Stasz and Mark Hoffman found this misplaced Western bird with a flock of GLOSSY IBIS. There may have been other birders discovering this rarity, but I can't be certain. So if I missed your name, please accept my apologies.

We dipped, which in 'birder-speak' means that we did not see the bird. I wasn't upset in the least, as I numerous birds to my MD State Year List. I think, after careful consideration and input from experts, that 250 is a reasonable, achievable 'goal' for the year. We shall see about if that number is even remotely possible as migration commences. As I'm sure you know, life tends to get in the way on occasion.

In any case, THIS was one candidate for 'Bird of the Day'. Thanks to Matt for the photo of the WHIMBREL! My personal favorite was an AMERICAN BITTERN that flushed from the marsh on Deal Island. Very cool!

I hope you had a great weekend. Enjoy you week.

-Dan

Tagged

So I've been tagged. Like everything in life these days, there are rules. I need to...

1. Write your own six word memoir:
-Passionate, investigative, creative and humorous bliss-seeker. Okay. So it's more like six and a half words. And it barely passes a memoir. I'll keep working on it.

2. Post it on your blog and include a visual illustration if you’d like.The ONLY thing missing is me looking at a bird.

3. Link to the person that tagged you in your post and to this original post if possible so we can track it as it travels across the blogosphere.
-You mean THIS blog???

4 .Tag five more blogs with links.
-The Bird Couple
-Hawk Owl
-Bird Chick
-The Birdchaser
-Birdsetcetera

5. And don’t forget to leave a comment on the tagged blogs with an invitation to play!
-This is indeed the difficult part. I was considering tagging Davis Allen Sibley this evening. But don't you think he's got better things to do? Mmm, perhaps. That said, I'd bet ALL of those bloggers are busy. It's nesting season. Not to mention that Spring migration is now here. Oh, and let's not forget, there is habitat to save, environments to protect and we all should lose a few pounds before speedo season arrives. Ewe.

Have a wonderful day.

In birding news, today I saw a ROYAL TERN fishing this evening on Weems Creek in Annapolis. Earlier this afternoon I spied a LONG-EARED OWL in addition to a NORTHERN SAW WHET OWL in Central Maryland. The one with the big ears... oh yes... a LIFER. Owl about that?

-Dan

American Kestrels

There is an unexplainable fascination that I have with the AMERICAN KESTREL. Whether it's this bird's striking blues and burnt orange coloring, or it's falcon features, a KESTREL certainly stands out when spotted perched on a power line, or in this case, a steel post. I have swum with PEREGRINE FALCONS, but I assure you that the AMERICAN KESTREL (North America's smallest falcon) is just as stunning a raptor. The KESTREL is a more accessible and certainly more visible bird of prey. I see them regularly while traveling for work and the sight of them never gets old. Today, while driving in St. Mary's County, Maryland, I spotted one on a country road (Rt. 5) on the way to the Board of Education.The AMERICAN KESTREL hunts from high perches or on the wing. When hunting in-flight, the KESTREL will hover while searching the ground for prey. However, when this bird wants to fly somewhere, it's flight graceful, rapid and unmistakable. Oh, and I almost forgot... the KESTREL has a high-pitched alarm call that can be heard frequently, especially when the pair have newly-fledged young, or when they swarm a larger bird of prey.Sue Ricciardi runs a HAWK WATCH every Spring at Anne Arundel County's Fort Smallwood Park. This year, she had a high count of 104 KESTRELS on March 20th, 2008. To date, there have been over 265 AMERICAN KESTRELS that have passed over the park on their migration North.There are two KESTRELS that have successfully raised a family in Baltimore City of all places. David Curson, of Baltimore's Audubon Office informed me that a pair of KESTRELS have raised a few broods in recent years just North of Patterson Park... on a city street no less!So the next time your driving through rural (or urban!) Maryland, think twice before assuming that the plump bird on the wire in a MOURNING DOVE. If it's got a bulbous head and some vibrant blue and orange hues... that more than likely is an AMERICAN KESTREL.Oh, but do pay attention to the roads!

-Dan

Me? I'm Feeling Better, Thanks. Contest Anyone?

Thankfully, I have (almost) fully recovered from last week's cold. A few lingering 'memories' remain. A sniffle here, a sneeze there. I'm sure you get the idea. So I don't really have all that much to tell you that you probably don't already know.

What happened this week so far? Hmm.

I saw a LIFE bird: Three RUSTY BLACKBIRDS to be exact. RUSTY BLACKBIRDS are in the midst of some serious issues lately (the past few decades). Their populations have declined more than almost any other bird species in North America (except for maybe the CAROLINA PARAKEET and the PASSENGER PIGEON). Read all about the plight of the RUSTY BLACKBIRD HERE. No wonder they've been so hard to find!

And I ALMOST forgot to mention... a sizable ice shelf has broken off in Antarctica. Think Connecticut falling off of the continental United States and you have an idea of the magnitude of the melt. Our time and energy would be well-served if everyone devoted time and energy to taking care of THIS our one and only earth. Nothing like a little global warming to bring us all together, right? We could all hold hands and sing.

It makes all of the other stuff we worry about seem rather small in comparison.

Or, we could all just look at some birds.If you can name all of the birds in the photos above, I'll give you a free BEN'S BONES "Live at the Ram's Head On Stage" CD! A compact disc is like an MP3, only it's round, reflective and plays in a CD player. You still have one, right? Not to worry, you can rip it on your computer in no time at all.

First one to get 'em all correct gets the CD! No cheating.

All the best,

Dan